Information Technology Reference
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behavior listed above has constituted the strict behavioral standard, but the
computers also have the above behavior. As to this, we have two kinds of
choices.
(1) Admit the behavior of the computer is alive,
(2) Change the behavior standard listed above to make computer process become
not alive.
The reason, why artificial intelligence fails in reaching “intelligence”, is that
it attempts to pursue an active goal. It is generally considered that playing chess
needs real intelligence, but when computers can defeat most people in playing
chess, someone thinks that the capability of playing chess should not be taken as
the symbol of intelligence.
Just as the situation of artificial intelligence, there are two kinds of opinions
on the substantial state of artificial life model: On one hand there is the weak
explanation: The computer process is nothing but the simulation of life. Of
course, it is clear that it is useful when discussing some concrete science issues of
the “real” life, but the processes has never been regarded as the examples of life
itself. On the other hand there is a strong explanation: The behavior listed above
can describe all the known biological life as well as some computer processes,
therefore it should be considered that the processes are “alive” in fact.
At first, the quality and the simple characteristics of life must be defined in
different ways. Many concepts are useful for thinking and daily talking, but it is
impossible to accurately define them, for example, the well known “machine”,
“game”, and “love”, but “alive” is another matter.
According to the vigor theory, there are essential differences between living
systems and non-living systems. This makes biologists make great efforts to
distinguish living and non-living life bodies. Today, a few biologists still think
this is a problem which is worth paying attention to. Though nearly all the
characteristics of natural life systems can be recognized, there is no satisfactory
formal definition of the life. Some of the most important characteristics in life
systems are:
The complexity and organization of life bodies;
The uniqueness of the chemical structures of their constituent molecules;
The uniqueness and variation of the single life body;
Having genetic programs which will form the genetic phenotype finally;
